Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Wind & Solar Power on Google Maps

FirstLookUse this Google Map mashup to find out if your property is in a prime location for wind or solar power. FirstLook claim they have produced the most advanced national wind map ever created.

Click on the map to show where your property is located and FirstLook gives you a free wind speed assessment so you can place your wind generators precisely where they need to be. FirstLook can even tell you which way to turn the boom.

The wind speed shown on the FirstLook map is the annual average wind speed. The colors allow you to compare different regions on the map using the color scale located in the upper right corner of the map. "Warm" colors like brown and orange indicate higher wind speeds. "Cool" colors like light and dark blue indicate lower wind speeds.

FirstLook can also show you solar global horizontal irradiance (GHI). Which means you can also use the map to find the best place to install solar panels.

Other Solar Maps

San Francisco Solar Map - Engineering company CH2M Hill has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Energy to provide solar maps of 25 American cities, using Google Maps to show the precise solar potential of individual homes. The company have just finished mapping the first city, San Francisco.

Roofray - Roofray lets you trace a polygon on top of the Google Map satellite image of your house. When you have traced your roof Roofray can tell you how much solar power you can generate.